The Architectural Wonders of the Vorlon Homeworld:
The Vorlon homeworld in Babylon 5 is shrouded in mystery and intrigue, with its architectural wonders hidden from human eyes until a million years into the future after the Vorlons have departed. The Vorlons are an ancient and enigmatic race known for their advanced technology and profound understanding of the universe. Their homeworld reflects their highly evolved civilization and serves as a testament to their architectural prowess.

1. Crystaline Structures: One of the most striking features of the Vorlon homeworld is its crystalline structures that seem to shimmer and glow with an otherworldly light. These structures are not only visually stunning but also serve functional purposes, housing various facilities and living quarters for the Vorlons. The crystals are said to be imbued with energy from the very fabric of the universe, giving them a unique and ethereal quality.
   
2. Floating Gardens: The Vorlon homeworld is adorned with breathtaking floating gardens that defy gravity and logic. These gardens hover in mid-air, showcasing a mesmerizing array of alien flora that seems to thrive in this surreal environment. The plants on these floating gardens are said to possess extraordinary properties, some rumored to have healing abilities or even psychic powers.
   
3. Telepathic Architecture: The architecture of the Vorlon homeworld is intricately linked to their telepathic abilities, creating spaces that resonate with psychic energy. Buildings are designed to enhance mental connections and facilitate communication on a subconscious level. The very structure of their cities is said to be alive with psychic vibrations, creating an immersive and transcendent experience for those attuned to such frequencies.
   
4. Temporal Anomalies: Visitors who dare to explore the Vorlon homeworld may encounter temporal anomalies that distort time and space, making it a challenge to navigate their enigmatic cities. Buildings may shift in form or disappear altogether, only to reappear in a different location moments later. These temporal disturbances add an element of unpredictability and wonder to the already surreal landscape of the Vorlon homeworld.
   
5. Harmonic Resonance Chambers: Deep within the heart of the Vorlon homeworld lie harmonic resonance chambers where sound is transformed into tangible manifestations of energy. These chambers serve as both artistic expressions and scientific marvels, harnessing the power of sound waves to create intricate patterns that dance across surfaces in a symphony of light and color.
   
6. Celestial Observatories: The Vorlons have constructed celestial observatories that allow them to study distant galaxies and cosmic phenomena with unparalleled precision. These observatories are equipped with advanced telescopes and sensors capable of peering into the depths of space, revealing secrets about the universe that remain hidden from lesser civilizations.
   
7. Quantum Architecture: At the forefront of technological innovation, the Vorlons have mastered quantum architecture, creating structures that exist simultaneously in multiple dimensions. Buildings may appear solid from one angle but transparent from another, blurring the boundaries between physical reality and metaphysical realms.
   
8. Energy Nexus Points: Throughout the Vorlon homeworld are energy nexus points where ley lines converge, channeling vast amounts of cosmic energy into concentrated nodes of power. These nexus points serve as sources of energy for their civilization, powering their advanced technology and sustaining their way of life.
   
9. Transcendent Libraries: Hidden within labyrinthine libraries are repositories of knowledge beyond human comprehension, containing texts written in languages older than time itself. These transcendent libraries hold secrets about the origins of the universe, esoteric wisdom passed down through generations, and insights into higher states of consciousness.
   
10. Temples of Light: Sacred temples dedicated to worshiping cosmic forces radiate with an inner light that seems to emanate from within each stone block. These temples serve as spiritual sanctuaries where Vorlons commune with higher beings and tap into universal energies that transcend mortal understanding.
    

In conclusion, the architectural wonders of the Vorlon homeworld are a testament to their advanced civilization’s ingenuity, creativity, and connection to cosmic forces beyond human comprehension.
The Vorlon Homeworld in Babylon 5 is a mystical and enigmatic planet, shrouded in secrecy and unattainable to human exploration until after a million years in the future. The organic architecture of their structures is a testament to the advanced and harmonious relationship between the Vorlons and their environment. These buildings are not only visually stunning but also serve as a symbol of the Vorlons’ profound connection to nature and their unique technological capabilities.
The organic structures on the Vorlon Homeworld are unlike anything humans have ever encountered. They seem to grow from the very ground itself, merging seamlessly with the landscape. The buildings appear to be alive, pulsating with an ethereal glow that seems to emanate from within. Their forms are fluid and dynamic, constantly shifting and adapting to their surroundings.
One of the most striking features of these structures is their bioluminescence. The buildings emit a soft, otherworldly light that illuminates the night sky, creating a surreal and breathtaking scene. This light is not just for aesthetics; it serves a practical purpose as well. The Vorlons use this bioluminescence as a source of energy, harnessing its power to fuel their advanced technology.
Another intriguing aspect of the Vorlon architecture is its adaptability. The structures appear to be able to change shape and form based on the needs of their inhabitants. For example, a building might transform from a residential complex into a place of worship or a laboratory, depending on what is required at any given moment.
So why are humans not allowed to visit or see these incredible structures until after a million years in the future? The answer lies in the nature of the Vorlons themselves. They are an enigmatic race, known for their cryptic behavior and deep connection to time. They believe that humans are not yet ready to understand or appreciate their technology and way of life.
Furthermore, there is evidence that the Vorlon Homeworld holds secrets that could be dangerous in human hands. For instance, there have been rumors of advanced weapons or technologies hidden within these structures. To prevent these discoveries from falling into the wrong hands, the Vorlons have chosen to keep their world hidden from human view.
In conclusion, the organic architecture of the Vorlon Homeworld is a marvel of design and engineering that reflects their deep connection to nature and advanced technological capabilities. Humans will have to wait until after a million years in the future before they can witness these incredible structures for themselves.
Architecture of Vorlon Buildings on their Homeworld
The architecture of the Vorlon buildings on their homeworld is a subject shrouded in mystery and intrigue due to the strict prohibition imposed by the Vorlons themselves on allowing humans or any other non-Vorlon species to visit or see their structures until a million years into the future after the Vorlons have departed. This enigmatic directive has fueled speculation and curiosity among those familiar with the Vorlons and their advanced civilization.
The few glimpses that have been provided through various encounters with the Vorlons suggest that their architecture is highly advanced, reflecting their profound understanding of technology, energy manipulation, and aesthetics. Vorlon structures are described as ethereal and almost otherworldly in appearance, often blending seamlessly with their surroundings while exuding an aura of power and mystique.
The buildings are said to be constructed using materials and techniques far beyond current human comprehension, incorporating elements such as energy fields, crystalline formations, and intricate geometric patterns that serve both functional and symbolic purposes. The scale of Vorlon architecture is also reputed to be awe-inspiring, with towering spires, vast domed chambers, and labyrinthine corridors hinting at the grandeur of their civilization.
Each structure is believed to be meticulously designed to harmonize with the natural environment of the Vorlon homeworld, creating a sense of unity between artifice and nature that reflects the Vorlons’ reverence for cosmic balance and order. The interplay of light, sound, and energy within these buildings is said to evoke a profound sense of transcendence and enlightenment in those fortunate enough to experience it.
Despite the allure of these enigmatic edifices, the Vorlons’ adamant refusal to allow outsiders access to their homeworld or its architectural wonders remains a steadfast barrier for all but the most patient and persistent seekers of knowledge. The reasons behind this restriction are deeply rooted in the Vorlons’ inscrutable motives and long-term plans for galactic evolution, hinting at secrets that may only be revealed in due time.
Reasons for Prohibition on Human Visits
The prohibition on human visits to the Vorlon homeworld stems from a combination of factors that reflect the Vorlons’ enigmatic nature and long-term perspective on interspecies relations within the galaxy. One key reason for this restriction is the Vorlons’ desire to maintain a veil of secrecy around their advanced technology, culture, and societal structures, which they perceive as vital components of their identity as a species.
By withholding access to their homeworld and its architectural marvels, the Vorlons effectively control the flow of information about themselves and prevent potentially disruptive interactions with less developed civilizations such as humanity. This strategy aligns with their overarching goal of guiding younger races towards spiritual enlightenment and self-discovery at a pace dictated by cosmic forces beyond mortal comprehension.
Furthermore, the Vorlons’ decision to impose a temporal barrier on human visits serves as a test of patience, wisdom, and respect for boundaries – qualities they value highly in potential allies or proteges. By setting such a distant timeframe for potential exploration of their homeworld, they challenge curious individuals to consider whether immediate gratification is worth sacrificing long-term understanding and cooperation with beings of vastly superior knowledge.
In essence, the prohibition on human visits to the Vorlon homeworld represents a multifaceted strategy aimed at preserving the integrity of Vorlon society, safeguarding valuable technological secrets, fostering mutual respect between species, and upholding a cosmic order that transcends individual desires or ambitions. Only by demonstrating genuine humility, perseverance, and reverence for higher principles can outsiders hope to earn the privilege of witnessing firsthand the wonders hidden within those forbidden walls.
Architecture of Vorlon Buildings on their Homeworld:
The architecture of the Vorlon buildings on their homeworld is a fascinating and enigmatic sight. The structures are characterized by their ethereal and otherworldly design, reflecting the advanced technology and ancient wisdom of the Vorlon race. The buildings appear to be seamlessly integrated with the natural landscape, almost as if they were grown rather than constructed.
Vorlon architecture is known for its intricate patterns, flowing lines, and shimmering surfaces that seem to shift and change in response to light and movement. The buildings are often described as organic in nature, with a sense of harmony and unity that transcends traditional human concepts of architecture.
One of the most striking features of Vorlon buildings is their use of light. The structures emit a soft, iridescent glow that illuminates the surrounding area with a mesmerizing radiance. It is said that the light emanating from Vorlon buildings carries with it a sense of profound peace and serenity, instilling a feeling of awe and reverence in those who behold it.
The interiors of Vorlon buildings are equally awe-inspiring, with vast halls, intricate corridors, and chambers filled with mysterious artifacts and symbols. The architecture seems to defy conventional notions of space and time, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that transcends earthly limitations.
Reason for Humans not being allowed to visit until a million years in the future:
The Vorlons have imposed strict restrictions on access to their homeworld for humans, prohibiting any visits until a million years into the future after their departure from known space. This decision is rooted in the Vorlons’ deep sense of secrecy, mystique, and reverence for their ancient heritage.
The Vorlons view their homeworld as a sacred place imbued with immense spiritual significance and cosmic energy. They believe that allowing outsiders, especially humans with their limited understanding and evolving consciousness, to visit their homeworld prematurely could disrupt the delicate balance of energies present there.
Furthermore, the advanced technology and knowledge preserved on the Vorlon homeworld are considered too potent and potentially dangerous for less evolved species like humans to comprehend or wield responsibly. By restricting access until far into the future, the Vorlons aim to protect both themselves and other races from unintended consequences that may arise from premature exposure to their civilization’s legacy.
In essence, the prohibition against human visitation serves as a safeguard against potential misuse or misinterpretation of the profound wisdom and power contained within Vorlon architecture and artifacts. It underscores the Vorlons’ commitment to preserving their heritage while respecting the boundaries between different species’ levels of development.
Vorlon Homeworld Architectural Wonders
The Vorlon homeworld in Babylon 5 is shrouded in mystery and intrigue, with its architectural wonders being a subject of fascination for many. Humans are not allowed to visit or see these wonders until after a million years in the future, long after the Vorlons have departed. The reason behind this restriction lies in the advanced nature of Vorlon architecture and technology, which surpasses human understanding and poses potential risks if revealed prematurely.
Advanced Technology Integration
The architectural wonders of the Vorlon homeworld are said to seamlessly integrate advanced technology with artistic design. Structures are believed to be alive in a sense, responding to the environment and inhabitants in ways that defy conventional understanding. The use of organic materials combined with intricate energy systems creates a harmonious blend of form and function that is beyond anything humans have ever encountered.
Dimensional Manipulation
One of the most intriguing aspects of Vorlon architecture is its rumored ability to manipulate dimensions. It is said that certain structures on their homeworld exist simultaneously in multiple dimensions, allowing for a unique spatial experience that transcends traditional concepts of space and time. This level of dimensional manipulation is far beyond human comprehension and could have unforeseen consequences if exposed prematurely.
Energy Sources and Sustainability
Another aspect that sets Vorlon architectural wonders apart is their utilization of advanced energy sources and sustainable practices. It is believed that their structures harness energy from exotic sources, tapping into the very fabric of the universe for power. This level of sustainability and efficiency is something humans can only dream of achieving, making it a closely guarded secret until the time is deemed right for disclosure.
Protecting Human Development
The decision to restrict access to the Vorlon architectural wonders until far into the future stems from a desire to protect human development. The knowledge and technologies embodied in these structures are so advanced that premature exposure could disrupt societal progress or even pose existential threats. By keeping these wonders hidden, the Vorlons aim to ensure that humanity evolves at its own pace without undue interference.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the architectural wonders of the Vorlon homeworld represent a pinnacle of technological achievement and artistic expression that remains off-limits to humans for now. The integration of advanced technology, dimensional manipulation, energy sustainability, and the need to protect human development all contribute to this restriction. Only time will tell what marvels await humanity when they finally gain access to these enigmatic creations.
Vorlon Organic Technology
The Vorlons, an ancient and enigmatic race in the Babylon 5 universe, are known for their advanced organic technology that surpasses the understanding of most other species. Their technology is a seamless blend of biological and mechanical components, creating systems that are alive in ways that defy human comprehension.
One of the key aspects of Vorlon organic technology is their ability to create living ships. These ships are not just vessels but sentient beings in their own right, capable of thought, emotion, and independent action. The Vorlons have mastered the art of merging living organisms with technological elements to create powerful and versatile spacecraft that can operate on a level far beyond what conventional technology allows.
In addition to living ships, Vorlon technology also includes bio-engineered weapons and defenses. These weapons are not simply tools but extensions of the Vorlon will, responding instinctively to threats and adapting in real-time to changing circumstances. This level of integration between biology and technology gives the Vorlons a significant advantage in combat situations, as their weapons can anticipate enemy movements and counter them with uncanny precision.
Furthermore, Vorlon organic technology extends to their infrastructure and everyday devices. Even simple objects like communication devices or environmental controls are imbued with a level of intelligence and adaptability that is unheard of in human technology. The entire Vorlon society is built around this seamless fusion of biology and machinery, creating a civilization that operates as a single interconnected organism.
Secrecy Surrounding Vorlon Technology
The reason why humans are not allowed to visit the Vorlon homeworld or learn about their organic technology until far into the future lies in the profound implications of such knowledge. The Vorlon technology represents a paradigm shift in how we understand the relationship between life and machines. Revealing this information prematurely could disrupt the delicate balance of power in the galaxy and potentially lead to catastrophic consequences.
The Vorlons themselves have chosen to keep their technology hidden from other races for a variety of reasons. One major concern is that less advanced civilizations may not be able to handle the ethical dilemmas posed by bio-engineering on such a scale. The ability to create sentient beings as tools or weapons raises complex moral questions that could destabilize societies unprepared for such challenges.
Additionally, the sheer power of Vorlon organic technology poses a threat to those who do not understand its intricacies. Allowing unrestricted access to this knowledge could lead to misuse or unintended consequences that might endanger not only individual civilizations but the fabric of galactic society as a whole.
By restricting access to their homeworld and advanced technologies, the Vorlons are acting out of a sense of responsibility towards preserving order and preventing chaos. Only when humanity has evolved sufficiently both technologically and ethically will they be ready to confront the mysteries of Vorlon organic technology without risking self-destruction.

Hey all! After watching the show a couple times, I wanted to discuss one of my biggest questions from the season. We still don't know much about Alastor's past, but from what we do know, I think we can start to piece together why the Radio Demon is able to stand so far above the rest of his peers:
After all, it's been stated a couple times now that Alastor was far more powerful than your average demon--or even overlord for that matter--directly after manifesting in Hell. I feel like this can be pretty safely said as it is mentioned both in the pilot episode and in-season. This is especially impressive when you stop to consider that Alastor even gave Adam a run for his money in their battle; the oldest human soul in existence. It seems to me that these couple of things are the biggest red flags indicating that our favorite antler-headed demon knows something about boosting his demonic powers.
To start answering this question, we can begin with the main methods we already know of for demons/angels to aquire more power:
A. Survive as a supernatural being for a long period of time, naturally becoming more powerful as time passes.
B. Make a soul deal with another entity--either gaining ownership of another soul like we see with Valentino and Angel Dust or by receiving a portion of the dealer's power like we see with Husker and Alastor.
Well, we know that the first way can't be why the Radio Demon is stronger than average as he is able to rip Hell a new one as soon as he ended up there. There are also older souls such as Sir Pentious who are far weaker than Alastor without contest. This then leaves a soul deal as the easiest solution for this dilemma. After all, it is established that he struck some sort of deal as Husk says so in Dad Beat Dad and even Alastor himself in his solo during the season finale. However, while I think this is the more likely option as to Alastor's above-average strength, I believe that the deal mentioned here was made following his defeat at the hands of the V's seven years prior to the show's start in order to save his own life. So, how then..? Well, I think the answer lies in Alastor's life as a human.
The main things we know about the Radio Demon's Earth-bound life are as follows:

1. Has Creole heritage as implied in the pilot episode
   
2. Hosted a popular radio show
   
3. Was a Serial killer who operated within some sort of moral code
   

3a. Might have been a cannibal

1. Died after being accidentally shot in the head by a hunter who mistook him for a deer while out disposing of a corpse

Bearing these things in mind, my working hypothesis is thus: I believe that because of Alastor's heritage and what we know of his murderous tendencies, that he was engaging in soul deals via some type of voodoo related practice while he was alive, giving him a head start in Hell as he already had several souls in his possession. This is because such rituals and deals are prominent in Creole culture/myth as it is from these myths that the modern zombie is derived. Though I can't say anything for sure regarding the terms of these deals, my first thought is that our cloven-hoofed friend met with poor or similarly disenfranchised people (most likely women considering what we've learned from Vivziepop regarding his stance on the sexes) and agreed to kill those who wronged them in exchange for their soul, the offender's soul, or even both. I feel like this would most easily explain his abundance of power while still keeping in theme with his portrayal as an anti-villian.
Tl;dr-- Alastor used voodoo rituals while still alive to get some souls under his belt before he ever made it to Hell to begin with.

Hey all! After watching the show a couple times, I wanted to discuss one of my biggest questions from the season. We still don't know much about Alastor's past, but from what we do know, I think we can start to piece together why the Radio Demon is able to stand so far above the rest of his peers:
After all, it's been stated a couple times now that Alastor was far more powerful than your average demon--or even overlord for that matter--directly after manifesting in Hell. I feel like this can be pretty safely said as it is mentioned both in the pilot episode and in-season. This is especially impressive when you stop to consider that Alastor even gave Adam a run for his money in their battle; the oldest human soul in existence. It seems to me that these couple of things are the biggest red flags indicating that our favorite antler-headed demon knows something about boosting his demonic powers.
To start answering this question, we can begin with the main methods we already know of for demons/angels to aquire more power:
A. Survive as a supernatural being for a long period of time, naturally becoming more powerful as time passes.
B. Make a soul deal with another entity--either gaining ownership of another soul like we see with Valentino and Angel Dust or by receiving a portion of the dealer's power like we see with Husker and Alastor.
Well, we know that the first way can't be why the Radio Demon is stronger than average as he is able to rip Hell a new one as soon as he ended up there. There are also older souls such as Sir Pentious who are far weaker than Alastor without contest. This then leaves a soul deal as the easiest solution for this dilemma. After all, it is established that he struck some sort of deal as Husk says so in Dad Beat Dad and even Alastor himself in his solo during the season finale. However, while I think this is the more likely option as to Alastor's above-average strength, I believe that the deal mentioned here was made following his defeat at the hands of the V's seven years prior to the show's start in order to save his own life. So, how then..? Well, I think the answer lies in Alastor's life as a human.
The main things we know about the Radio Demon's Earth-bound life are as follows:

1. Has Creole heritage as implied in the pilot episode
   
2. Hosted a popular radio show
   
3. Was a Serial killer who operated within some sort of moral code
   

3a. Might have been a cannibal

1. Died after being accidentally shot in the head by a hunter who mistook him for a deer while out disposing of a corpse

Bearing these things in mind, my working hypothesis is thus: I believe that because of Alastor's heritage and what we know of his murderous tendencies, that he was engaging in soul deals via some type of voodoo related practice while he was alive, giving him a head start in Hell as he already had several souls in his possession. This is because such rituals and deals are prominent in Creole culture/myth as it is from these myths that the modern zombie is derived. Though I can't say anything for sure regarding the terms of these deals, my first thought is that our cloven-hoofed friend met with poor or similarly disenfranchised people (most likely women considering what we've learned from Vivziepop regarding his stance on the sexes) and agreed to kill those who wronged them in exchange for their soul, the offender's soul, or even both. I feel like this would most easily explain his abundance of power while still keeping in theme with his portrayal as an anti-villian.
Tl;dr-- Alastor used voodoo rituals while still alive to get some souls under his belt before he ever made it to Hell to begin with.

About to take my NCLEX tomorrow, and I guess Utah works differently than others states in that you apply for licensure after the test. How does that work?
Also, I had a misdeamor C reckless driving 6 years ago (this was dismissed due to mental health), but the DOPL website says that I can continue my application if I submit the records for the conviction, will this affect me?
Double question kinda sorry, feel free to answer one or both, cheers

I am a 15-year-old teenager, I practiced karate for a large part of my childhood (Goju Ryu style) then I quit because, well, you know, the trend reveled, then I wanted to take it up again, but in the town where I lived there were no Goju Dojos Ryu, so I went for the Shotokan style, and my goodness, it was love at first sight, I stayed in that Dojo for a year and a half, I met great friends, I went to championships, it was great, and although there were some personal problems, but the experience was another level, but then due to those same personal problems, I left the Dojo, shortly after I moved to the city again, I want to take up karate again, but between not finding options near my house, and my mother is doubtful about I entered again, I couldn't, I joined a gym, but it's not the same, I want to practice karate, I even keep my gloves, so my question is.
Can you train karate at home? I know that training with a sensei and in a Dojo is a thousand times better, but I have other options, could I practice karate at home? And any channels that you recommend for training at home?
Thank you very much in advance for reading this post 🫂.

New to k8s, ave seen many advocations about separating k8s manifests to a separated repo than the application repo, especially from argocd best practice. It makes a lot of sense actually.
My question is, how about local development? Tools like Tilt seems to expect manifests to be in the same repo instead, do you just use symlinks/git submodes/ other hacks to put them together?
I'm used to use docker-compose, my app depends on postgres and vnc, with compose its easy to bring them all together, wondering what's the best way to do it with k8s locally. For prod I'm aiming to use argocd and kustomize. For dev it'll be a dev overlay. How can I use it when it's in a separated repo?

Hello! i'm a teenage practicing muslim and I have a couple of questions.
1.) can i stay still in sujood? sometimes sujood is overwhelming and after making dhikr i was wondering if it was allowed to just do sujood without saying anything after the obligatory part. just sitting silently in sujood
2.) can i pray out loud if i'm praying by myself? (fajr, maghrib, isha)
3.) how does sujud as-sahw work? do i do it after the final salam or right before it?
it would help me a lot as i recently started praying more and i get really confused when i look up these questions!! thank you

Romans 1:26-28 TW "clobber" verses
Hi everyone, I don't usually post on here but I saw someone raise an interesting point which didn't get answered on a separate thread. I'm bisexual, and I've been deconstructing for the last year to equate my Christian faith from being someone who was previously deeply closeted and homophobic, to wildly supportive as an ally before realising oh heck wait.. I might not be straight either. I'm in an extremely strict Christian social circle, (evangelical) and tho I'm not out publicly, I've been put through the paces to explain myself (eyeroll) at why I'm not studying the Bible and coming to the same conclusions my homophobic friends are essentially.
Ultimately let me share my views: I very strongly believe the Bible has been edited again and again, to agendas of misogyny for example, due to the cultures of the time. However I fail to see how God would send good, loving, consensual homosexual people to hell with the likes of Hitler (for example) for loving the "wrong" person. All love comes from God after all. I believe that ANY healthy relationship, God has placed us into.
I've got answers for 3 out of the 4 "clobber verses" that I know, (the mistranslation argument that there were no loving consensual homosexual relationships in biblical times and what the various people namely Paul was addressing and in Leviticus was the fact that it was common practice for a Roman man to assert dominance on his slaves by raping them, and then (Lev) hiring male prostitutes was a sin.
However - I've realised if anyone questions me on where lesbian and gay sexuality is condemned in Romans 1:26-28, I haven't got an answer to hand except for repeating the above.
Much might still apply but I'm wondering if anyone's ever looked into the translations of this etc. I know it's told in a story context of "this people were evil worshipped false gods etc, and so God "gave them over" to "unnatural and lustful desires " in "exchange for the natural (straight) ones".
However it also talks about their sinful (straight) desires in the paragraph above as well.
This Could have been Paul's take on this story and he was deathly homophobic as we all know. I'm just wondering if anyone has a biblical answer I can shut Evangelicals up with 😆

Hi everyone, I don't usually post on here but I saw someone raise an interesting point which didn't get answered on a separate thread. I'm bisexual, and I've been deconstructing for the last year to equate my Christian faith from being someone who was previously deeply closeted and homophobic, to wildly supportive as an ally before realising oh heck wait.. I might not be straight either. I'm in an extremely strict Christian social circle, (evangelical) and tho I'm not out publicly, I've been put through the paces to explain myself (eyeroll) at why I'm not studying the Bible and coming to the same conclusions my homophobic friends are essentially.
Ultimately let me share my views: I very strongly believe the Bible has been edited again and again, to agendas of misogyny for example, due to the cultures of the time. However I fail to see how God would send good, loving, consensual homosexual people to hell with the likes of Hitler (for example) for loving the "wrong" person. All love comes from God after all. I believe that ANY healthy relationship, God has placed us into.
I've got answers for 3 out of the 4 "clobber verses" that I know, (the mistranslation argument that there were no loving consensual homosexual relationships in biblical times and what the various people namely Paul was addressing and in Leviticus was the fact that it was common practice for a Roman man to assert dominance on his slaves by raping them, and then (Lev) hiring male prostitutes was a sin.
However - I've realised if anyone questions me on where lesbian and gay sexuality is condemned in Romans 1:26-28, I haven't got an answer to hand except for repeating the above.
Much might still apply but I'm wondering if anyone's ever looked into the translations of this etc. I know it's told in a story context of "this people were evil worshipped false gods etc, and so God "gave them over" to "unnatural and lustful desires " in "exchange for the natural (straight) ones".
However it also talks about their sinful (straight) desires in the paragraph above as well.
This Could have been Paul's take on this story and he was deathly homophobic as we all know. I'm just wondering if anyone has a biblical answer I can shut Evangelicals up with 😆

I’ve tried all 3 2020 practice MCQ’s on the college board website, and have gotten a 40/60 for ALL 3. is there anything I can to do improve this or is it a fine score? I average around 90% on the FRQ’s if that helps. My bad if it’s a dumb question, this is my first AP exam 😭. Thanks!

I have a question about PTO.
My offer letter states I will accrue PTO as follows: "13 PTO that can begin to be used after 3 months employment (PTO accrues monthly at 8.67 hours per month)."
However, our online payroll software says I have accrued 36.00 hours.
So according to my offer letter I should have 17.34, but according to our software I have 36.00.
How much PTO do I have?
Could I argue that because the software says 36hrs I am owed that even though my offer letter says otherwise?
FWIW my contract just states "Employee shall be entitled to personal time off consistent with the Company’s customary policy, which is 13 days of paid time off, with eligibility and accrual beginning after 3 months employment."
Context: I work for a private healthcare practice. My start date was 1/2/24.

How to Access Developer Tools in the Arc Browser on PC: Quick Tutorial!
https://youtu.be/t-rVaPKvVNc
Welcome to my tutorial on opening the developer tools in the Arc web browser using your PC! Developer tools provide invaluable features for web developers and enthusiasts to inspect and debug websites, analyze network traffic, and optimize performance. In this quick and straightforward guide, I will show you how to access the developer tools within the Arc browser on your PC, empowering you to explore and interact with web content like a pro.
Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more helpful tutorials and tech tips. If you have any questions or suggestions for future tutorials, feel free to leave them in the comments below. Thanks for watching!
Simple Steps 1. Open the Arc web browser. 2. Click on the Arc Logo upper left corner. 3. Place your mouse cursor over "Developer" and click on "Developer Tools".

I accidentally posted this to my username instead of my subreddit so here is is:
The Mortgage, Part 3
“Fuck,” I said as I drove to work in the old beater that only started on the fourth try because it could tell that I was pissed off. Ray’s case started at two o’clock, and I was heading to the office to get ready. “Fuck fuck fuckity fucking fuck. Fuck.” I’d wanted to tell Angela about Ray’s case, and how I was sorry that I hadn’t wanted to help him, but now I would, I would help him, and I would win, but then I’d gotten her all riled up on something else, something totally different, something way more serious.
My wife had given me a triple ultimatum: fix things up with her father, save idiot Ray from Sy-Co Corp., and somehow find a downpayment for the place she wanted to buy, in the little townhouse infill project in Bixity. It was like demanding I do a double bank shot, and then run over to the baseball diamond and hit a home run after first pointing to where it would land, Babe Ruth style.
Angela was mad at me, seriously mad. She’d slipped out that morning before I was even awake, sliding quietly past me on the couch. I didn’t realize she was gone until I heard the faint click of the front door closing. I jumped up, tripped over a blanket, and by the time I got up and my robe on, the elevator down the hall dinged, and Angela was gone before I opened the apartment door.
I swore at myself some more and pounded the steering wheel, “I fucked up,” I said, several times as I hit the wheel over and over again, until I accidentally honked it, and then looked all sheepish when the guy in front of me gave me the finger. I reached my office without further incident, but instead of walking in the front door, I went further down the hall, and into the office of Mark Cecil-Rowe, Barrister, LL.D, the man with the finest speaking voice I ever heard. When I entered his office I forgot for a minute about Angela and her father and sleeping on the couch the night before. I forget about everything, except the reason that I had come to Cecil-Rowe’s office: to stump him with a legal problem that I had solved, but which I was pretty sure he could not. In other words, I had come to preen and to brag and to boast. No one likes a showoff, and I had come to show off. I put my hand on the door and turned the knob. After a brief pause, I flung open the door.
“I’m a goddamn genius,” I said as I strolled into the older man’s office.
I noticed the echo of a hastily closed desk drawer hanging in the air. In Aaron’s office, where I rented space, a sudden act of concealment implied cocaine, but with Cecil-Rowe, the item in question was probably a mickey of vodka. I had the sense that he’d been drinking a bit before I arrived, but his powers of observation were unimpaired, and when he looked into my face, his expression showed sympathy, and actual pain.
“What have you done now?” he said, as set the papers before him to one side, and readied himself to hear my latest tale of legal brilliance.
“I’m a genius,” I said.
“Oh dear. Have a seat.”
“No really, I am. I’m a genius. I got this case that everyone says you can’t win, but I’m gonna win it, and when I do, I’m gonna look like a genius.” Cecil-Rowe gave me a sad indulgent smile.
“Whenever you tell me you’re a genius, I am always concerned about what is to follow. When you get wrapped up in what you call your genius, you tend to ignore the more mundane things we lawyers have to do to win a case. You think you’re going to win by genius alone.”
“Let me tell you why I’m a goddamn genius.” With effort I wiped the smug, self-satisfied expression that was on my face.
“Tell me why you’re a genius,” Cecil-Rowe said, “while I pour us a coffee.” He heaved his bulky body up from his chair and shuffled over to a counter. He picked up a carafe of hot coffee sitting on a hot plate, and poured two cups. “Speak,” he said, handing me one. I took a sip of the coffee, and told Cecil-Rowe the tale of Cousin Ray: his purchase of a franchise from Sy-Co Corp, its swift demise, the crash and burn in Commercial Court, the Minutes of Settlement, the seventy-one kilometer limit, and lastly, Sy-Co’s motion scheduled for two p.m. that very day, seeking an interim injunction shutting down Ray’s place.
Cecil-Rowe absorbed all this without the need to take notes. Instead, he sat back while he eyed me, taking the occasional sip of coffee, and smiling at the extravagant flourishes and details that brought out Ray’s story to full effect.
“Obviously Ray is dead on arrival,” he said, “but I guess this is the part where you tell me how you’re going to win.”
So I told him how I was going to win, but it didn’t have the desired effect. “I told ya I’m a genius, Mr. C,” cueing him to applaud, to admit what a brilliant lawyer I was. But there was no applause from Mark Cecil-Rowe. He looked at me without so much as a smile.
“You can cling to that genius notion as a consolation prize, after you get whipped this afternoon in court.”
“No way,” I said, “not a chance. I got this thing won hands down. I’m gonna kick ass in court today and--”
“And how exactly do you plan to do that, if you don’t have evidence?”
“What?”
“Evidence, Calledinthe9os. It’s what lawyers like me use to beat geniuses like you.”
“But I’m gonna win without proof. I don’t need proof. The argument I’m gonna make, relies on simple facts that are totally obvious, so the judge is gonna--” Cecil-Rowe stuck up his hand.
“Stop right there. I know what’s coming. You’re going to ask the judge to take *judicial notice.”
And he was right. That was exactly what I was going to do.
There are some things so obvious that you didn’t have to prove them, things that everyone knew. You didn’t have to prove that water froze at zero degrees and boiled at a hundred, or that Bixity was between West Bay and East Bay.
“You got it,” I said, “judicial notice all the way.”
“You’re going to tell the judge that the centerpiece of your argument, the lynchpin of your case is a fact known to pretty well everyone, and so you don’t need proof.”
“Exactly,” I said. Cecil-Rowe took another sip of his coffee, and left me hanging in the silence for a while before he spoke.
“If that’s true, then why does coming up with that argument make you a genius?”
“Oh, I said,”I didn’t think of that.”
“It is acceptable to rely on judicial notice for minor, ancillary points. But you never should walk into court thinking that the court will take judicial notice of your entire defence. It’s just too risky.”
“But how am I going to rustle up a witness in time for this afternoon?”
“Worry about that after you leave my office. I can’t help you with that. What I want to know, is why you’re doing this at the last minute.”
“What makes you think I’m doing this at the last minute?”
“Because you never would have resorted to judicial notice if you were properly prepared. If you’d opened this case a bit earlier, you’ve have everything lined up. But you got to work on it late, and so you want to rely on judicial notice. You’ve messed up, Calledinthe90s, and you know what my rule is when you mess up.” Cecil-Rowe didn’t extend aid to me, until I admitted the error of my ways. It was infuriating, but he was inflexible. So I fessed up.
“My idiot cousin Ray’s been trying to retain me for almost two weeks, but I was putting him off because I was mad at him. So now my wife’s mad at me, and if I don’t win this case, I’m dead. Plus her dad’s mad at me too and --” My brain roared into overdrive, a mess of family and law and fear, and at the centre of it, thoughts of Angela’s anger and her father. My mind took off, and then came to an instant halt at a helpful destination.
“Yes?” Cecil-Rowe said.
“Sorry. I just realized how to solve the evidence problem. Look, can I ask you about the thing I actually came here to ask you about?”
“You have a problem that’s worse than having no evidence? What could be worse than -- oh. You don’t have a retainer. Your client doesn't have any money.”
“Exactly. How do I get paid? That’s the problem.” I explained that Ray had no money, as in none, and that if he did have money, he wouldn’t spend it on me. Instead, he’d go back downtown and throw his cash at some big firm, who would take on his case, and proceed to lose it in a calm, careful, sober manner, ending in a reporting letter to Ray telling him that he’d lost.
“Now that’s a problem I can solve,” Cecil-Rowe said.
“Really? ‘Cause I can’t see a way around it. I think I’m gonna have to do this for free, and that really pisses me off.” Cecil-Rowe shook his head.
“You may or may not get paid, but you can set things up so that if you win, you’ll win pretty good.”
“How? Ray’s a deadbeat. Tapped out.”
“But is he desperate?”
“Totally. The first time he failed, he lost his own money, but if he goes under this time, he’s taking family money with him, and he’ll be the black sheep forever.”
“And he’s using family to emotionally blackmail you into helping him?’
“Like no shit. That’s the part that pisses me off the most. I’m like a goddamn slave, being forced to work for free.”
“Never fear, young apprentice. I have just the thing in mind.” He reached into a drawer, and pulled out a form. “Fill in the blanks, and have him sign.”
I looked it over, and saw that the document was a retainer agreement. I whistled. “Holy shit. If he signs this, he’s almost my slave.”
“Close, but not quite” Cecil-Rowe said, “the Latin term for this is "contractus pro venditione animae"”. It’s the ultimate retainer agreement. Once Ray signs that, you own any cause of action he has against the person suing him. You can settle the case on any terms you like, and you get to keep whatever proceeds there are.” Cecil-Rowe placed the folder back in a drawer, and from his manner you could tell that the interview was over.
“Awesome, Mr. C. I’ll call you from Commercial Court when we’re done.”
“Commercial Court?” he said.
“Yeah, Commercial Court.”
“This just keeps getting worse. Take notes, Calledinthe90s, while I school you on Commercial Court. Commercial Court is a jungle, and without preparation, you’ll get savaged.”
“That’s what happened to Ray when--”
“Take notes, young apprentice,” he said, tossing me a pad and a pen. He started to lecture, and I took notes that I have with me to this day, in a safe deposit box downstairs in the vault at Mega Bank Main Branch.
* * *
By the time Cecil-Rowe finished schooling me, it was close to ten, and the case started at two. I didn’t have much time. I ran down the hall to my office, and called Ray’s restaurant. No answer. Then I called Ray’s house. I expected to get Ray’s wife, but the man himself answered.
“You’re not at work. Why aren’t you at work?”
“Sy-Co Corp served all my employees with a cease and desist letter. They all got scared and took off. The place is shut down.”
“You gotta fax machine at home?” He did, and asked why.
“I’m taking your case, but only if you sign the paper I’m about to send and fax it back.” I sent the fax, and five minutes later it came back signed, and it was official: Ray had sold me his legal soul.
I went out to the parking lot, got into my beater and drove fast. In less than thirty minutes I reached my destination. I knocked on the door, and when it opened, my diminutive mother-in-law poked out her head. “What a pleasant surprise,” she said.
“Sorry, Mrs. M, but I’m in a super hurry. I gotta rush to get to court to help Ray. But first, I gotta speak to Dr. M.”
“He’s not here,” she said.
“Not here?”
“He’s on his way to his bridge game. He left just a few minutes ago.”
“Where’s the club?”
“He’s walking there,” she said, and pointed down the street.
“Thanks.” I got into my car and headed where Mrs. M had pointed, passing big houses and new project with an “Opening Soon” sign. And walking past it was the figure of Dr. M.
“Hey, Dr. M,” I called out the window. He stopped and looked around, startled. But he didn’t see me, not at first.
“It’s me, Dr. M. Me, Calledin90s.” He leaned forward as if to see me better. I got out of the car.
“Is something wrong with Angela? Or the baby?”
“No, no not at all, sorry to scare you, it’s nothing like that. I need your help.”
“Oh.” He started walking again, and now it was my turn to be a bit stunned, watching my father-in-law walk away from me. I caught up with him in a few quick strides.
“Listen, I really need your help.”
“And I really need to get to a bridge game.”
“This isn’t about me. It’s about Ray.” That brought him to a halt. He turned to me, angrier even than he’d been the night before.
“Did you drive all the way out here just to make fun of me? To remind me of how you won, distracting me with nonsense about Ray’s case?”
“I mean it,” I said, “I can win Ray’s case. I can prove it in a few words.”
“Prove it, then.” So I did. I spoke words, only a few words, but they were the right words to speak to Dr. M, for the words I spoke were in his language, words that he understood perfectly.
“I understand,” he said, “you’ve come to boast some more, to prove that you were right after all.”
“I want to win Ray’s case, but I don’t have any proof of what I’m saying.”
“You don’t need to prove that two plus two is four.”
“This, I gotta prove, and I need you to help me prove it. I need you to come to court with me, as my witness.”
“I can’t do that. I didn’t witness anything.”
“As my witness. My expert witness.” Unlike a normal witness, an expert witness can give an opinion. An expert is there not to advocate, I explained to Dr. M but to instruct, to teach.
“My bridge partner won’t be very happy,” he said.
“But Ray will, and so will Mrs. M and Angela and--”
“Very well. Do you have a cell phone? We can call the bridge club from my car.”
* * *
We were on the highway getting close to the downtown exit, when my wife called my cell phone. Back then cell phone service was super expensive and my wife only used it for emergencies. Or when she was really angry. I picked up the phone, wondering which it would be.
“I’m so happy that you made things up with my father,” she said.
“How did you know?”
“My mother called. She says you took him with you, that you went out together.”
“He’s with me right now,” I said.
“Where are you going?”
“To court. Going to court to win Ray’s case for him.”
“And you brought my father with you to watch?” She was so happy, I could hear in her voice that she was smiling. “That’s a great way to bond with him, Calledinthe90s. Look, I’m sorry I got so mad at you earlier, I really am. My dad’s a bit too sensitive and--”
“Sorry, Angela, your dad’s not coming to watch me.”
“Why is he with you, then?”
“He’s my witness,” I said.
“What?”
“His expert witness,” Dr. M said, loudly enough for Angela to hear.
My wife’s anger exploded into the phone. She wanted to know how I could expose her elderly, vulnerable father to the stress of a court case. I tried to tell her how I needed him, how there was literally no one else I could turn to, that her father was an expert, a true expert, and the judge was legally bound to believe him, but Angela heard none of this.
“Look,’ I said, “I promise you that--” And then I lowered the phone and pushed the red button, terminating the call. I’d learned that the best way to hang up on someone, was to do it when I was doing the talking. That way it looked like the call had dropped.
“I’m going to steal that move,” Dr. M said.
We rolled into the parking lot. I grabbed the cloth bag out of the back of my car, the bag that held my law robes and shirt and tabs, plus the other stuff I needed for court. It was one-thirty, still thirty minutes to go, not a lot of time to get robed and ready for court. It was just past one-forty five when I, with Dr. M in tow, opened the door to a courtroom on the eighth floor of an old insurance building that had been converted into a courthouse, the home of Commercial Court.
“Commercial Court is an exclusive club,” Cecil-Rowe had explained to me earlier that day, “the legal playground of the rich and powerful. They’ll know instantly that you’re not one of them.” And he was right. It was clear from the moment I walked in that I did not belong, for I was the only lawyer in robes. Everyone else was wearing a suit, and not some cheap thing off the rack like I wore.
There were a half-dozen lawyers present, and after they saw me, they exchanged knowing looks about the stranger amongst them. I ignored them, and walked up to the Registrar. I told him the case I was on, and he signed me in.
“First time in Commercial Court?” he said, eyeing my robes. “You know you don’t have to be robed in Commercial Court.” In other Superior Courts, you always had to bring your robes and get all dressed up. But Commercial Court had its own set of rules, and in the court for rich people, their lawyers did not have to wear robes.
“You’re here on the Sy-Co case?” a young woman asked. She was a junior like me, give a year or two either way. She was dressed in the finest downtown counsel fashion, some designer thing that Angela would know if she saw it.
“Just got retained,” I said.
“You know there’s no adjournments, right? We don’t do adjournments in Commercial Court. I’m just trying to be helpful, because I don’t think you've been here before. You know you don’t have to be robed, right?
“So I heard.”
“So where’s your material? You haven’t served anything, so how do you plan to argue your case?”
“I gotta witness,” I said.
She smiled. “There’s no viva voce evidence, either. Affidavit only.”
“We’ll see what the judge says.” There was a knock from the other side of the door to the judge’s chambers, and then the man himself entered.
I was amazed to see that even the judge wasn’t wearing a robe; instead, he was wearing a light coloured suit and a bright blue bow tie. He was dressed as good as the lawyers, all part of the downtown Commercial Court club, the playground of the richest and most powerful corporations in the City.
“Commercial Court’s not like other courts,” Cecil-Rowe told me earlier that day, explaining that most cases were over in fifteen minutes or less. A plaintiff showed up with some papers, and had a short consultation with the judge. The judge signed an order granting an injunction, or taking away a man’s business, or freezing his money. Commercial Court is where you went to get quick and simple court orders that eviscerated your opponent before the case even got going.
Defendants would appear sometimes in Commercial Court, Cecil-Rowe explained, but it was usually their last time up. Defendants always died a quick death in Commercial Court.
The judge took his seat, and then looked over the lawyers before him. His eyes moved along, and then stopped when they reached me, the one lawyer who was not like the others.
“You don’t need robes in Commercial Court,” the judge said to me.
“I’ll remember that for next time,” I said.
“What case are you on?”
I told him.
“He’s filed no responding materials,” my opponent said, “nothing at all.”
“I’m just vetting the list,” the judge said, “I’ll circle back to you two in a few minutes.” I listend while the judge vetted the rest of the afternoon list: a Mareva, plus a Norwich order, with counsel on those cases sent away in a matter of minutes.
Now the courtroom was almost empty, just the judge, two lawyers, the registrar and my star witness and father-in-law, Dr. M, who sat in the back of the courtroom dressed in an old business suit, put on hastily at his place two hours earlier, when I urged him to hurry it up, to not waste so much time on picking a suit.
“Back to you,” the judge said, addressing my opponent, “I thought this was an uncontested matter. That’s what your confirmation sheet said.”
“I’m sorry, Your Honour, but I didn’t know until I got here that the case was defended.”
“I got retained at the last minute,” I said, “barely three hours ago, the day after I read the papers. But I’m ready to go, ready to argue the case on the merits, so long as you grant me an indulgence, and let me call my witness, to let him testify in person instead of by affidavit, there being no time for me to draft anything.”
Opposing counsel was on her feet. “That’s not how things are done in Commercial Court,” she said, “or any court that I know of, for that matter. My friend (that’s what they make lawyers call each other in court, ‘my friend,’ even though you might hate the other guy’s guts),” the lawyer said, “my friend should have served his responding materials and filed them with the court. Instead, he’s taken us totally by surprise.”
“I’m sorry my friend is surprised by opposition,” I said, “but then consider, it’s my client’s livelihood that’s at stake. If my friend gets her injunction, Ray Telewu’s business is dead, and he loses everything. So yes, my client opposes the injunction, and yes, I’d like to call evidence.”
The judge didn’t consult the papers before him nor the books, but instead, he looked up at the big white clock on the courtroom wall. Its hands said two-fifteen.
“How long will your witness take, counsel?”
“In chief, ten minutes.” I’d practiced with Dr. M on the way in, and I was pretty sure he could do it in five, but I gave him a bit of extra time, just in case.
“We’ve got about two hours,” the judge said, “but I want to be fair to you and your client. Let’s take a fifteen minute recess so you can get instructions. Either we go ahead today with viva voce evidence, or we adjourn, and that will give Calledinthe90s time to file responding materials.”
When everyone came back, the junior’s boss was there, Senior Counsel, a heavy weight, one of those big guys downtown. Plus they brought this guy from Sy-Co Corp, the head of some bullshit division, with some bullshit title, Head of whatever, so that’s the title I’ll give him here. He was The Head. He was the man, the big cheese, the signer of the affidavit on which Sy-Co relied that day.
“What’s he doing here?” I asked Senior Counsel.
He stared at me, all lean and steel grey, looking every inch the hard hitting lawyer that commanded the biggest fees. “If you’re calling a live witness, then so can we. The Head will give evidence today, in advance of your client, so that the judge hears it from him first.” His junior smirked at me, and the two of them sat down, delighted that they’d thought of a way to one up me.
Except that they’d done it by exposing their client to cross-examination. The judge came in, allowed the Head to testify, and when he was done, I stood up.
“Just a few questions,” I said. Senior Counsel was stunned for an instant, and then he stood.
“This serves no purpose, Your Honour. The witness has confirmed the simple facts of his affidavit, and there’s no disputing it. Ray Telewu opened a restaurant less than seventy-one kilometres from Bixity City Hall, and that’s in breach of the Minutes of Settlement he signed.”
I did not bother to respond. Instead, I just stood, and I started to ask questions.
“Have a look at that map in your affidavit,” I said, and he did. I picked up my copy, and tore the map out of it. I passed it up to him.
“What do you notice about this map?”
“That it’s accurate,” the Head said, repeating his evidence in chief, amplifying it, talking about how the map contained perfect measurement.
“You will notice that the map is flat,” I said, laying it on the witness box before him.
“Of course it’s flat. That’s what maps are. Maps are flat.”
“But the earth is round,” I said, “or more properly, a sphere.” Senior Counsel was on his feet in an instant.
“What difference does that make?” he said.
“What you’ll hear from my expert witness, is that a flat map cannot accurately show Earth’s curves. A flat map distorts distances, and in this case, reduces them.”
“But that can’t be by very much.”
“In this case, by just over twenty meters,” Dr. M said from the back of the court.
“That’s my expert witness, the esteemed Dr. M.” I didn’t actually say Dr. M. Instead, I said his real name. But I’m not going to use the real names of my family here, so I’ll just keep calling him Dr. M. “Dr. M was a professor of Physics at the University of Bixity for almost thirty years. He has published numerous papers on particle physics, and is the first Canadian winner of the Wolf Prize for physics.”

• * * *

It went downhill after that for Sy-Co Corp. My father-in-law testified, explaining in simple language, language that even a child could understand, that the Earth was a sphere, that the shortest distance between two points on Earth was a curve, not a straight line. He summarized his calculations in plain English, dumbing down the math, so that everyone present imagined, if only for the moment, that they shared his understanding of a difficult mathematical equation.
Senior Counsel tried to cross-examine Dr. M, but it did not go well, my father-in-law indulging him, gently chiding him, continuing his explanations until the lawyer sat down, defeated by Dr. M’s mastery of the subject,his own lack of preparation and his inability to improvise. When counsel said that he had no further questions, the judge addressed us all.
“I’m not going to reserve, and I don’t think I need to tell everyone why. I think it will take about a minute for me to write a decision saying that the Earth is not flat. I’ll give you some more time after that, but after fifteen minutes, I”ll be back to render my decision.” He rose, everyone bowed, and he disappeared behind the door to judge’s chambers.
I pulled a piece of paper out of my file, and slammed it on the desk before Senior Counsel and his junior. “Fill in the blanks, and sign,” I said.
Dr. M’s head shot up at the commotion, and he shuffled over to see what was going on.
“What’s this?” Senior Counsel said, picking up the paper I gave him..
“Minutes of Settlement. You fill in a number, a big number, for the costs you gotta pay me. Your client signs, and then we’re done.” Senior Counsel opened his mouth to bargain, but I overrode him.
“You know your client’s going to lose; the judge made that obvious. Hurry up if you want to settle; we don’t have much time.”
At the end of most Canadian court cases, the loser has to pay at least part of the winner’s legal fees. That’s the way it’s been since forever, and I think it’s a good rule. Sy-Co Corp had lost, so it had to pay a good chunk of Ray’s costs, and Ray’s costs were somewhere between whatever bullshit figure I claimed they were, and where they actually ought to be. Senior Counsel took the paper over to his client. There was a brief discussion, and then they came back, with the form signed, and a number written in the blank space.
I’ll give it to Sy-Co Corp and their lawyer. It wasn’t a bullshit number, a low ball number. They gave me a real number, a number more like something I’d actually accept, a number that made sense to pay me in costs, in light of the success I’d had, and how I got it. It was a respectful number, a common sense number, and I appreciated it an awful lot.
I tossed the paper back at them.
“Add a zero,” I said, continuing on when Senior Counsel blanched, and his junior retreated a step. “I know what’s going on here. Your client sold mine a bullshit franchise, one with a history of failing.” The franchise had opened up again under a new owner not long after Ray had lost it and then it promptly failed again. Like I said at the start of this story, it’s an old story. It’s how some franchise companies make money. “Your client makes more money selling bullshit franchises doomed to fail, then it does from the honest ones that make money. So add a zero to that number, or Ray’s gonna sue you, class action and all that, for all the people you’ve fucked.”
The Head stepped forward from the benches and spoke to me.
“We get threats like that all the time, but no one follows through. They don’t have the money to fight us, and neither does your client. So go ahead and sue.”
“It’s true that Ray doesn’t have jack shit,” I said, “not a pot to piss in, but he’s my cousin, Ray is, and even if he doesn’t have money, he’s got me. Ray’s family, and for Ray, I’ll sue you guys for free. Hell, I’ll even pay the expenses. Plus I’m gonna put a jury notice in, too, come to think of it, ‘cause juries--”
Senior Counsel cut me off, and moved his client to the back of the courtroom. There was a brief discussion, and then they came back. I watched as Senior Counsel wrote a single digit on the Minutes, a zero, written right where I wanted it.
“You’ll have to initial the change,” I said to the Head of Sy-C0, and it gave me great satisfaction to watch him sign.
“Don’t forget,” I said the moment his pen stopped moving, “for the settlement to be valid, I need to get the money today. Right now.”
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” the Head said.
“Not if you want the settlement to stay in place. I’ll follow you back to your office, and you can put a cheque in my hands.”

• * * *

“What’s this?” my wife said when I entered the apartment later that day, after I’d driven Dr. M home, stopping first at a local pub for beers.
“It’s an absurdly expensive bunch of flowers,” I said, “although no flowers, however beautiful, however expensive, could expiate my--”
She took the flowers, and gave a kiss.
“My mom called. She told me what happened. You fixed things with my dad.”
“Yup,” I said. I had certainly done that. I’d made Dr. M a professor again, if only for a few minutes. Not only a professor, but an expert witness. The judge had declared him an expert in plain terms and Dr.M had beamed when he’d heard those words.
“And you won Ray’s case, too. But my mom didn’t know how, and I don’t know how you did it either.”
“I’ll tell you over dinner tonight,” I said.
“But we agreed no more dinners out; we have to save money, now that a baby’s coming.”
I passed her the envelope that I’d received a few hours before. She opened it, and took out a cheque, a cheque drawn up for an amount I specified, made payable to Mr. and Mrs. Calledinthe90s.
The moment I got that cheque, all I could think about was how my wife would react when I put it into her hands. I could not wait to see her eyes bulge, to hear her voice say “oh my god,” to hear her laugh.
She did none of these things. Instead, she cried.
“Does this mean we can buy a house?” The money wouldn’t be enough to buy a house, not nowadays, with prices being so crazy. But things were different back then in the 90s. Sure, the internet was barely a thing and cell phones were super expensive and a lot of things sucked, but I’ll give the nineties one thing: houses were cheap.
“I think so,” I said.

Straight to the point... I'm getting around 150 in mathongo ADV mocks And right now I'm in no condition to study anything new(nahi ho rahi padhai) No tension of clearing individual subjects cutoff as it can be easily done.... How can I do some bit of chapters that I'm struggling in?? Like fluid mechanics, COM, iconic equilibrium, probability
Suggest some practice material (quality questions as even if number of questions are low)
And what shall be the target in mathongo ADV mocks? (according to their difficulty level tbh at this point kisi bhi coaching ke mocks pe bharosa nahi hota hai☠️)
THANKS..

Hey everyone,
About 6 months ago I caught an upper respiratory infection that required medication, specifically augmentin antibiotics. I was prescribed a heavy dose and recovered without incident... EXCEPT for my skin! I'm prone to eczema on my hands and legs and developed a pretty bad flareup after but was able to sort it out with my usual colloidal oatmeal cream.
HOWEVER, I've now developed what I would call "sticky dandruff" scalp flakes. I've tried Head and Shoulders and Neutrogena T Sal, both of which seem to make my scalp more dry and the flakes more crusty. The dandruff itself isn't what you would call typical dandruff. It's sort of the dandruff is stuck to my actual hair follicle. There is no flakes on my clothes or anything. The dandruff appears crusty and I'm prone to picking at it... I've picked it and it looks yellowish and produces liquid. I know part of the problem is my picking my scalp and I've got to get a hold on that, but, I'm mainly concerned about getting this problem taken care of.
I have a few questions.

1. Should I be washing more often or does that just dry out my scalp even more?
   
2. If I resist the urge to pick out the flakes, will that cause my hair to fall out? I guess what I mean is, if I don't remove the dead skin will that clog up my scalp and cause my hair to fall out? (I have not experienced any hair loss as of yet)
   
3. How do I "heal" the sores I've caused from picking? Should I apply vaseline or antibotics (neospirin)?
   

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Do not worry, if this doesn't clear up soon, I plan to make an appointment with my derm.
Other skin facts: I have very sensitive/reactive skin. I also have rosacea.

And to be honest I'm not too sure how to feel. I did a lot of prep and took a couple of prep courses, including iprep. I felt good about my performance on the practice tests but I felt like the actual aptitude test was substantially harder than the prep, specifically the math portion. Just like the prep, it was 33 questions and I had 46 minutes. Listening to the chatter during the break it seems like most people felt the same way.
The test seemed to follow a certain pattern, like a number of questions in a row that were all a certain kind of topic. First there were a number of series questions. Some of them I could identify the series but some I couldn't figure where to begin, so I skipped those couple hoping to come back to them. The iprep practice tests had a number of series questions as well. Most of those series questions were quite straightforward, with one or two on the practice tests being quite tricky, but I learned what the series was and kept them in mind to expect them. I recall one of the series questions on the practice tests being a series of prime numbers, which I thought was pretty creative. However, I don't know if it was nerves or if they really were that tricky, but some of the series questions on the actual test I just had no idea were to start. Those were the first set of questions, no doubt intended to waste some time. The next series of questions were some logic questions, like given a certain formula you're given the options of y increases as x decreases or y remains constant and so on. I feel like I spent a lot of time of the test on these questions. There definitely were these sorts of questions in the iprep, but on the actual test they did seem quite more complicated and couldn't simplify as easily as the questions on the practice tests. The next series of questions were formulas with given variables. I feel confident about these, except for one where I didn't get one of the available answers and told myself I would go back to it. The next sets of questions were not too hard. There was some factoring and a question or two asking "given this equation, when x > -1 then y is negative" sort of questions. Then the last couple questions were giving a table and choices that best describe the table, at which point I looked up at the time remaining and I had about 45 seconds left. I went through the last couple and tried to read and put some sort of guess down. There were a number of questions that I left blank. I do feel pretty good about the questions I answered but I am very worried about the questions that I didn't answer.
I do feel pretty good about the reading comprehension, even though I was a little rattled from the math section. A good tip I've learned about reading comprehension sections is to read the questions and choices first before reading the passage. The answers come a lot more easily that way.
This is my first year applying and taking the test and while I would love to get in on my first try, it sounds like that trying again another year is far from an uncommon experience. I know that I'll be able to try the aptitude test again in 3 months but my local wouldn't be taking applications again until January. I was apparently in the first testing group and there will be groups testing throughout May and into June, so I won't hear anything about my status until mid June. I just hope for the best and hope that everything works out eventually. Just definitely wanted to give the warning those preparing for the test, the test is much harder than iprep.

i'd rather cry after failing because i tried rather than cry because i didn't try.
hour 1: unit 2
hour 2: unit 3
hours 3 & 4: unit 4
hour 5: unit 5
hour 6: unit 6
hour 7: units 7 & 8 (already reviewed 7) & 9 (very short and unimportant)
hour 9: practicing writing
each hour includes: relevant unit videos, progress checks, and short answer questions for active recall
course 2: review as much as possible before getting ~6-7 hours of sleep.
wish me luck!! i'll update with score

Campaign of Fur & Fang
Act:1 We are here for you “To be honest with you Mr. Speaker, as representative of my fair species, I must inform you and everyone at home watching this debate, that the Lycans only wish to help humanity with our gifts. We are here for you. Yes, times are very scary, especially for the human population that sees not one but two of cultures most feared mythical creatures in the fresh and not just frightening tales and big budget motion pictures”.
(The Rep. of the Lycans, Mr.Olaf Corvin starts the proceedings strong with a voice that demands one’s attention with his deep soothing tunes and leadership-like inflections)
“Why thank you, Mr. Corvin, for your small intro, as we all know, we are here tonight for a debate of most importance. According to the peace treaty signed by both the Lycanthrope and the Empusa. A treaty that ended thousands of years of bloodshed and horror that came into focus for humanity in the past 50 years. Both Lycans and Empusas decided that their treaty was holding both sides at bay but no more, both sides came to a way to end this fighting once and for all. Oddly enough, you both decided on a campaign in the vein of an election, one that is between the Empusa, vampires for the common human knowledge, and the Lycanthropes also known as werewolves. This will consist of a 3-night debate between Mr. Olaf Corvin for the Lycans and Ms.Elisabetha Harkin for the Empusa. At the end of the 3 nights, humanity will vote on either side on who is the dominant species, thus eliminating the other and holding power over us all. This first night will be for Mr. Corvin and the Lycan’s then the 2nd night will go to Ms. Harkin for her argument for the empusa. This being the first night we shall start with you, Mr. Corvin. So I’ll start with the question all of humankind wants to know. Just why did you and your kind think we (humans) should vote for you since we have dealt with werewolves for decades, that we know of at least? Do we have a chance in hell, pardon my speech, of continued existence”?
(The Speaker is direct and surprisingly unnerved by the intense presence of Mr. Corvin being, his stare alone is enough to make your hair stand on end.)
“First off, Thank you all for your cooperation, I know this is uncommon for anyone let alone all of you watching here and at home. So to answer your first part, Mr. Speaker, I have seen centuries of bloody battles both as a human and as a Lycan and one thing has remained constant, no matter who is doing the fighting, blood on both sides will fall and innocent lives will be lost to the violence…to end that I felt this was the better more humane way to go about it.
“So, Mr. Corvin, are you saying that this “Debate” is to determine who is to RULE over all of humanity and use us as nothing more than food and labor”?
“No, both the lycans and empusa met on neutral ground and under special conditions to ensure that no side had an advantage over the other and to hopefully come to a fair compromise to ending the rivalry that has hindered not just the Lycans, not just the empusa Mr. Speaker…but all that calls Gaia home. To the concern and the outlook for humans, do not worry, for we do not condone forced labor among anybody, although if humans wish to share in culture and knowledge we are more than willing to. We wish and welcome it. As for food, hmm, yes we do eat…meat but that's not to mean that we strictly eat humans, on the contrary many of my kind eat animals and most vegetation that the great Gaia provides us all. Not unlike humans do. Don’t forget Mr. Speaker, we lycans have learned to live among humans for generations and hope to continue to do so. Only this time, not to hide what we are and grow together”.
“Well said Mr. Corvin but on the point of what you just said about living with humans for generations. You and others have heard the legends and stories regarding depictions of were…excuse me, Lycans, throughout history and in many different cultures. My question for you is, of most of these claims and even eyewitness accounts of your kind…SLAUGHTERING humans by the thousands in the name of your God Gaia, some as recent as decades ago right here in the country alone. How can we (humans) expect to co-exist with the Lycans after all their destructive actions”?
“The horrors that humanity has both witnessed and have been a part of are not unknown to my kind. We (Lycans) want to set the record straight, as you humans have said. History has been looking at us Lycans as like a plague, a horrifying virus that is contracted through a bite on a full moon, all that isn’t true. You won’t be turned through a bite or a scratch for us. To be one of us, you must first denoise all ties to materials, all bonds for greed, to truly understand freedom…the true freedom of no restrictions to your bond to the Almighty Gaia for she has given us this blessed freedom. Us, yes my family, my pack if you will, have seen the glory of Gaia on that glorious day so many many centuries ago when she took pity on my ancestors. Seeing them in chains of iron, beaten by their masters with barbed whips and prodded with their silver-tipped rods, the great Gaia saw out of all this display of cruelty and hatred that she began to weep”. (Corvin stops and takes a minute to compose himself, turning away slightly from the crowd hiding a small swell of tears.)
“Are you telling me... that to be counted among your kind, to become a Lycan in your community one simply can’t just be bitten but has to fully give themselves over to your way of life? That is truly a far cry from the movie monsters of old have portrayed. It sounds like it is more than some affection contracted from a bite or a curse, sounds like it’s more of a religious act than anything. What is the history of your kind then? Help us understand what the path of Gaia means and how it’s the true path to walk in life”.
“Well, Mr. Speaker, the first thing to learn from us is that under the guiding hand of Gaia, we (Lycans) have lived together with no sense of division amongst our own. No civil wars between ourselves, no reason to, when we all share a common goal of pleasing the great Gaia. Her ways are not strange to anyone honestly, she first bestowed these charges to our progenitor, my father, over 324,000 moon phases ago. It was on that night my father fell in battle against his rival and at that moment, she gave him a choice. Either turn away from the folly of the false gods and temptations of man and follow the path of her grace and in doing so will unite him with his enemies and end the wars that drove them to kill and taint the grounds of her body, or to simply deny her and embrace the world as one big lie and die alone on the ground and to be nothing more but a footnote of the grand story yet to be told”.
“So he chose her over death, to be her devoted one. Her avatar to bring out and show that she is the way to peace and prosperity. Whereas others only want to destroy and claim pieces of her through war and death. She gives it freely to her children. That is what it means to be one of us. Unlike my opposition, who brings death to all, they have the sink of death on them and should not be allowed to continue…I’m sorry Mr. Speaker. I wish to not have it end the way they offer and truly wish for peace for all who LIVE…and share the gift that has given my kind such a grander way of life”.
(Corvin drinks something from his ornate flask & after a moment makes his claim for why his kind should win over the Vampires)
“To all of those who still don’t wish to join us or are skeptical, Let me make it plain as spring rain. We offer you no chains or servitude, we offer you a way to live by us not under. If you decide to choose us over them I promise you this…People will live and live well within. But, I do warn you all, if you do choose Gaia and her gifts, they come with rules and rules that help with holding everlasting peace. Rules are what separates us from the savageness that has been shown by others not blessed by Gaia. Rules are fairly simple to practice”.
( The Rules Corvin laid out were as he said, simple, yet I fear they are not ones easily practiced among most humans. 1. All those who reside on blessed Gaia must swear an oath to not cause her any harm, which includes pollution of any kind. 2. All who receive Gaia’s blessing are to at no point shed the blood of her blessed ones.[Lycan] 3. Once a year an offering to Gaia is MANDATORY. Anything offered up must be prepared for her glory and must be taken with the utmost respect and care. (examples from anything from a blood offering to a prized crop of that year.)
“With this, I offer you true purpose and a life worth living. No more war, no more famine, or even the threat of a short mortal life can be a distant dream with the gift of Gaia”.
“I’m sorry to repeat myself Mr. Corvin, but are you telling us that if we choose you we will no longer be humans? Forgive me sir, but if the humans out there didn’t want and refuse this “gift of Gaia” as you call it, then what comes of them”?
“Mr. Speaker, make no mistake, Not everyone is a good fit for most humans and the gift Gaia offers is not something easily given, but rest assured that we do not wish to persecute nor do we have any intention of hurting anyone without cause. If you don’t have the gift or refuse it as you say, Mr. Speaker, we simply wish to not have the continued harm that has already been done to our beloved Gaia. we will cease all harmful pollution that all your factories, workshops, and all the mining, It all ends under our rule. Life will return to simpler times When the sky above wasn’t flooded with false lights made to blind you from the glory of the stars that blanket Gaia like a grand tapestry”.
“So, you are saying you would see an end to all of our functionality, as we know life, and drive us back centuries in technology and advancements in medicine? This feels like a subject that would cause much strife among humans, it may even be fair to say that this declaration you just put out there, might just make you seem more of a threat to what we hold dear. Forget about phones, the internet, and neon lights. What about the people whose very life is prolonged through this technology? Like a child who lives on dialysis or in a village somewhere far away, that has no access to fresh water or healthcare that would help them. Are you telling me that under your rule as a Higher species, what you offer us is a fair replacement”?
“The simple answer to that Mr. Speaker is yes. But I’ll go a bit further in explaining it for you and everyone watching here and at home. To all those who are fearful for your life as you know it, when the rule of the Lycans is secured, our first action is repairing as much damage as possible including the humans that are at the worst. The ones who are forgotten by their own but not so easily forgotten by our blessed mother Gaia, will be the ones who have earned the gift of Gaia. She has spoken of this directly, she sees all and has a place for the ones no one loves, the ones life has done wrong by. She will embrace them and on to her, they will find peace. As for their practice, you humans have done in the name of “progress” need not fear either. We will not cut your way so swiftly, we will show you the better path through example and have you see that your harmful, hateful ways that have been around since Cain threw the first stone are not the true ways to live on Gaia. Don’t think you will continue this without a gilding hand. We will be that guiding hand and as the hand of Gaia, you will see your harmful ways are not worth the cost”.
“Thank you, Mr. Corvin, for your time tonight. We sure have a lot to reflect on with what you say. The people here, myself included, have never truly given enough thought about just how much we harm the planet…Gaia, my apologies. Your words stir quite a few mixed feelings for us and your proposal is one we shall very much consider. Just one last question before we adjourn for the week. If/When the Lycans take full control, do you plan on completely whipping out the opposition”?
{Corvin lowers his head and looks at his soal powered wrist watch and then drinks again from his ornate flask]
“To that I have only one thing to say” {Corvin smiles and looks directly into the hard camera as it zooms in closer, more distinct features show on Corvin's face. Bushy yet maintained brow that is furrowed into an angle that shows his distaste for his vampire opposite.}
“To my opponent, our agreement will stand whether we win or lose this race but win we win and WE WILL WIN. We expect you and all your kind to do what is promised and hand yourselves over to us so that we can return you to the embrace of Gaia that all your kind has turned away from. Yes, Gaia has not forgotten you as well. She sees all and will welcome you with open arms. Thank you all for your time and my Gaia bless you all”.
{Corvin waves and walks off stage right as the curtain draws and the crowd murmurs and scatters. We truly have some thinking to do and I for one will say that sleep for me tonight will not come to me easy, that for sure. That’s going to conclude our broadcast here come back in a fortnight when we have the pleasure of hosting the Representative for the Vampires, Ms.Elisabetha Harkin.}

hello, i'm seeking some advice and answers regarding riding/bikes as i'm potentially interested. I'm basically just gonna ask a bunch of questions and hope the knowledgeable group of people here can answer.
Disclaimer: I know i can find a lot of the answers i want on google, but i prefer to get answers from genuine experienced humans personally.
It's important to note i grew up riding dirt bikes my whole childhood so im very familiar with the riding style of bikes in general and basic operation, but not sure between the differences of that and street bikes.
anyways i was thinking of looking into getting a used rig maybe at the end of summer but don't even really know where to start looking, i'm also 5'2 which i'm sure will be a big enough issue for me while in my search.
What characteristics to look for in a bike? What characteristics to avoid? (brands, common mechanical issues, etc) Common scams with used bikes?
I also want to know about gear, how much does it run you? what's most important? what gear do you actually need vs what's cosmetic? Brands? etc.
How practical is daily commuting ? Driving in rain, even snow? i live in Canada so winter is also something to note.
How are bikes on gas? Insurance? What are the hidden fees i should know about?
Overall just any insight would be helpful.

For context I have taken both cores of A+ last month and just finished taking the N+ this evening. This was done all within 7 weeks and I have passed every attempt on my first try! I recently switched from hospitality less then a year ago and am almost 30 if any of you are doubting yourselves YOU CAN DO IT!!
I’d like to give a HUGE thanks to Professor Messer. I’ve used his study material exclusively for every exam! Although he didn’t have practice tests for N+ I used Dion’s practice exams and didn’t get the best scores (Imo Dion’s questions are more difficult in the sense that he overprepares you). Regardless, I felt confident about all the material and the time I’ve devoted and decided to take it after 3 weeks of hardcore studying.
Sec+ is in the crosshairs.
Cheers

hello, i'm seeking some advice and answers regarding riding/bikes as i'm potentially interested. I'm basically just gonna ask a bunch of questions and hope the knowledgeable group of people here can answer.
Disclaimer: I know i can find a lot of the answers i want on google, but i prefer to get answers from genuine experienced humans personally.
It's important to note i grew up riding dirt bikes my whole childhood so im very familiar with the riding style of bikes in general and basic operation, but not sure between the differences of that and street bikes.
anyways i was thinking of looking into getting a used rig maybe at the end of summer but don't even really know where to start looking, i'm also 5'2 which i'm sure will be a big enough issue for me while in my search.
What characteristics to look for in a bike? What characteristics to avoid? (brands, common mechanical issues, etc) Common scams with used bikes?
I also want to know about gear, how much does it run you? what's most important? what gear do you actually need vs what's cosmetic? Brands? etc.
How practical is daily commuting ? Driving in rain, even snow? i live in Canada so winter is also something to note.
How are bikes on gas? Insurance? What are the hidden fees i should know about?
Overall just any insight would be helpful.